A Snow Cottage
by WizardMichi
Summary: Hermione is running for her life, seperated from her friends, and crosses paths with none other than Draco Malfoy. Her fate rests in his hands. Trust, or not to trust...?
1. On the Run

**A/N Hi! I know I said I was taking a break, but I had a dream about this and needed to write it. Hope you enjoy this little short story. Is this what people call a Drabble? I don't know. Anyway, carry on! **

The Snow Cottage - A Short Story

Hermione felt panic rising within her as she ran through every back alley and muggle garden on the block she somehow found herself in. She'd gotten seperated from Harry and Ron four days ago after breaking into the ministry for that stupid bloody locket, and now here she was trying to run for her life all alone. She launched herself over a low hedge and vaulted a fence, landing in the back garden of a house that seemed to be vacant, for sale most likely. She decided to take the chance, and pulled out her wand as she ran up the stone path and steps leading to the back door. A quick _alohomora_ and she was in.

She felt her heart pounding painfully in her chest and her ears were ringing still with the screams filling the ministry upon their escape attempt. She hated to lose track of the boys, but she felt it was imperative that she mislead the deatheaters into following her rather than tracking them. Tracking Harry.

She was inhaling and exhaling in sharp gasps until she heard the distant cracks of several apparitions and thundering feet. She couldn't tell where they were coming from, nor could she distinguish if they knew she was close by or what house she may be hiding in. She did her best to slow her breathing and ran up the stairs of the house to find somewhere to hide. This house was furnished, but she couldn't see anything that would aid her. She felt herself panicing again. If they found her, maybe she would be able to off a few of them before they did her in.

She stood in the center of what was presumably meant to be the master suite and assumed a defensive dueling stance. She could hear them. They were yelling, uncaring that this was a muggle neighborhood. They were going to find her, and she knew she would need to fight. She wanted to cry with how furious she was. Her magic was depleted - how would she be able to defend herself against them? She furrowed her brows, straining to hear them. She wanted to scream at having cornered herself like this, but what other option did she have?

The anger gave way to the fear that stilled the blood in her veins as she listened to the sound of a door being opened and shut downstairs. They were in the house. She tried hard to hear anything, but it was silent. She gripped her wand painfully and began to breathe shallowly and listed every spell that may be useful to her in a duel right now, provided she was even able to cast one. She was ready, she was ready, she was - footsteps on the stairs - ready, she was ready, she - shuffling, and then a pause in front of the door leading into her hiding place - she was ready, she was ready - the door pushed open with a quick shove.

Hermione froze, her heart in her throat from pounding so aggressively. Of all the Death Eaters she expected to see, he was not it.

"Granger?" Came his shocked voice in the stillness of the room and she scoffed.

"Malfoy. Come to collect me?" She hissed and eyed him warily.

"What - are you who they are looking for? Makes sense, now, I suppose..."

"What?" She snapped, keeping her wand trained on him from across the empty space. His reaction to finding her was making her uneasy.

"They are looking for you? Because of the Ministry?" he asjed again, attempting to clarify the situation.

She cocked a brow at him, "And you're supposed to be smart?" she retorted angrily. After the words left her lips, though, she instantly regretted them.

Malfoy grit through clenched teeth, "I'm just shocked, Granger. I was tasked to help, but no one mentioned you. Just an unruly witch that needed to be captured and brought in..." He trailed off feeling uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Hermione was snapped back to the present and began absorbing the noise around her. They were close and the panic she'd felt earlier was returning. Her wand hand shook fiercely and she felt the desperation override her of any bravery she previously had.

"Malfoy, please. Help me, please. Don't tell them I'm here. Please, don't let them find me." She whispered hastily as a door downstairs could be heard opening again.

Malfoy watched her with the same astonishment, but it was also laced in something more - something akin to frustrated confusion.

"Please, I am begging you, Malfoy. Don't let them find me." She whispered again, both of them listening to the shuffle of feet below them.

He seemed to be contemplating several things if the deep scowl and look of confusion on his face was any indication. The stairwell creaked, causing Hermione to startle. Her wand was shaking almost violently in her hand. She attempted to apparate several times, but knew it wouldn't work. She was too exhausted, too malnourished, too strained. Running had been her only choice and now it seemed to have been for naught.

The stairs creaked again, and she stared wide eyed when Malfoy seemed to come to a decision and silently stepped into the room with her, shutting the door soundlessly behind him. She was afraid. She had to admit that to herself in order to remain grounded and aware. He was unpredictable. It was only the fact they were schoolmates that even made her speak to him. She knew he hated her, she knew it and yet she hoped he would have mercy. She hoped he would help.

"Come here," he whispered hurriedly, holding his free hand out to her and she wasted no time falling into his arms in response. If it was a trick, she didn't let herself think about it because either way, he was her best chance right now to survive and she would bloody well grab it.

As they heard footsteps begin to reach the second floor landing just a few paces from the door of the room they occupied, Malfoy raised his wand and looked down at her before apparating them both away.

oOo

Hermione collapsed to her knees as soon as they reached their destination. She was trembling and wanted to vomit, but quickly stood with her wand raised to take in her surroundings. This, however, was an awful idea as her nerves were completely shot. Before she could catch herself, she was stumbling and landing hard back on Malfoy.

"Watch it, Granger!" He snapped and helped her up again.

"Mal - Malfoy! You helped me?" She asked him, stunned completely.

"I did." He replied and looked away from her. He seemed annoyed. His stance was defensive and guarded and he had that scowl plastered on his face again.

"Th- thank you, Malfoy." She murmured and he shrugged.

"Yeah..."

"Why did you, though. Why did you help me?" She asked hesitantly.

He thought for a moment before he answered, "I really don't know, Granger."

She nodded and then for the first time, she took stock of where they were.

"Malfoy, where are we?"

"Bulgaria. This is my cottage." He replied guardedly and her surprise increased.

"Bulgaria? Wait, you own a cottage!? Wait, YOU BROUGHT ME TO BULGARIA BY APPARITION!?" she yelled in horror as the realisation of what he had just done dawned on her.

He only nodded and she felt her face going red. She began to fan herself with her free hand and tried not to panic. "Malfoy, that was dangerous. You could have splinched one of- "

"More dangerous than being handed over to Death Eaters, Granger?" He retorted incredulously and she quieted her ranting abruptly.

"Fair point." She lowered her wand and looked around again. Malfoy stood stoicly in the middle of the sitting area and Hermione crossed to look out of a window. Pulling back the curtain she was surprised to see snow surrounding the entire area.

"We are on a mountain, Granger. Sort of an alcove, hidden from view. I had this place built by some of the best wizarding architects I could find here in Bulgaria. Then, I obliviated them."

She turned to look at him again.

"Did you atleast pay them?" she asked sarcastically. He scoffed.

"Of course I did, Granger. They just think it was a hefty donation from some anonymous client."

She hummed in acknowledgement and than said plainly, "So this is a safe house." He inclined his head slightly in agreement.

"Yes, a safe house."

She didn't inquire further. She'd had a feeling since all of this started, Malfoy would end up proving he was a lot more complicated than what she and her two friends thought. Something occured to her just then, and she turned to face him fully.

"Malfoy." He looked at her. "Show me your arm."

He tensed visibly at her request, but slowly pulled off his robe, and threw it on a chair beside him. Never breaking eye contact with her, he pushed the sleeve of his shirt up and angled his arm so she could see the unholy branding on his otherwise unblemished skin.

Her eyes met his again and she could feel her heart racing once more. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of this version of Draco Malfoy. It was like the last few years were distorted and no longer made sense when in regard to him. She watched him lower the sleeve of his shirt again and he moved to the kitchen.

"Tea, Granger?" He asked quietly, and Hermione had to fight hard not to laugh at how ludicrous this situation was and his casual offering of tea.

"Thank you, yes."

"Why did you break into the ministry?" Malfoy asked once they were settled with the respective cups in hand. She was stirring honey into hers when he'd suddenly asked, and she faltered.

"There was something there that we had to get. That Harry had to get." She answered. She wasn't completely sure she could trust him yet, so anything she said had to be vague.

"Were you successful?" He asked after a brief pause. Hermione looked at him through her lashes.

"Yes, we were." She whispered.

"Good." He finally said, so quietly she almost missed it.

oOo

_Six days later..._

"Just stay! Why endanger yourself again? They almost bloody caught you, Granger! They would have tortured and killed you!"

"You cannot possibly expect me to stay here! Malfoy, I have to find them! We have a mission to complete! They need-"

"You're going to get yourself kill- "

"That's my decision to make then, isn't it?" She screamed and they glared angrily at one another.

"No. I won't allow you to." He huffed and she saw red.

"Draco Malfoy! You have no right!"

"You asked for my help, Granger!" he yelled back sharply. His face was flushed and he was breathing heavily.

"Yes, and you did help me and I am so grateful to you, but I can't stay! Surely, you must know that?"

There was a deafening silence now. He didn't respond, but slumped down into a chair, defeated, and stared blankly at a wall. Hermione was trying desperately to get her breathing under control. She walked around his chair and stood in front of him.

"Malfoy, tell me why you don't want me to go?" She asked and watched him closely. He turned his eyes on her and then slid them over to the crackling fireplace.

"I just... I've gotten used to you. I- I don't want to hear you've been hurt or killed one day, know- knowing you could have been safe here if you'd just stay..."

Hermione pulled her lips into a thin line and huffed a breath through her nose. She knelt down in front of him, resting a hand on his.

"I understand. I've- well, I have gotten used to you, too. I think we could be really good friends, you know?"

He laughed with a certain air of disbelief and sarcasm and she knew he was feeling betrayed in some way.

"Malfoy," she traced circles onto the back of his hand as she spoke, "I have to go. I cannot abandon Harry and Ron to do this alone. They need me with them so we can finish this stupid war and fix what has been broken."

He swallowed and locked his eyes on hers.

"I know that. I knew, deep down, I knew I would never be able to keep you here." He mumbled and placed his other hand on hers.

"Have you," she bit her lip nervously and asked quietly, "picked a side? What will you do when you leave here?"

He sighed, still looking down at her. "I have... and I will play my part appropriately."

He offered nothing more, and she still remained unsure of his exact meaning. Was he defecting? Was he still a pureblood elitist Death Eater? She didn't know. All she knew was one way or another, she would learn someday if Draco had remained friends or foe to her.

Getting to her feet, she pulled out her wand. "Thank you for everything, Draco. Honestly. And... And I hope we meet again."

He nodded, getting to his feet as well. He looked almost pleadingly at her for a moment, but schooled his features and dropped the wards.

"Until next time, Granger." He murmured, and with a twist of her wand, she was gone.

oOo

**A/N Hope you liked this! Now, onward to how Draco felt during all this! Enjoy!**


	2. On The Run - Draco's POV

A Snow Cottage - Draco's POV

The day started like any other; screams from the foyer, crying in the dungeon, house elves trembling more than usual, and the usual sickly feeling that never seemed to leave Draco anymore. Waking up annoyed him. For some reason he expected all the pain and turmoil to kill him in his sleep. He expected one night of thrashing would have his head hitting the floor in just the right way, but of course, everyday he still woke up and he still had to face the day.

Draco felt the usual tension grip his body and he sighed. Would he ever feel better? Is this what he was to expect for the rest of his life? Well, service to his Dark Lord might not last as long as expected if he truly thought about it. He barely survived their 6th year, and didn't have much hope for his 7th.

He barely had time to wake himself up when there was a sharp knocking on his bedroom door. He wanted to ignore it, but soon his uncle Rodolphus pushed his way inside.

"Draco, time to get up."

"Good morning, Rodolphus. Lovely day for torture and death..."

"Draco, stop it. The Dark Lord has requested you join us, you need to get up." He snapped and Draco rolled his eyes.

Sitting up in bed and swiping a hand through his hair, he looked at his uncle wearily. As bad as most of these Death Eaters were, Rodolphus was nowhere near the level of awful as one might think. Still, he wasn't great.

"Join you in what? Bit early for a revel, no?"

Rodolphus sighed dispassionately. "Much too early for your mouth, surely." Draco shrugged. "No, we have been entrusted to track a very high profile witch. She has been spotted in a muggle neighborhood, and our instructions are to bring her to the manor upon capture. She is dangerous, and slippery. Since you've proven yourself proficient in tracking, you're coming. Downstairs in five minutes."

Before Draco could respond, his uncle left his room, letting the door shut with a sharp snap behind him. Draco rolled his eyes and rubbed at his face again before he resigned himself to the day and strode into the bathroom. He figured looking for a rogue witch is still better than torturing one. Hopefully, he could be left to his own devices if he found her first and handed her over. All he wanted to do was escape to some time away from the screams and crying.

oOo

Draco landed in some muggle garden, annoyed by the chase already. Whoever this witch was, she was clever. Four days. Four long days of this cat and mouse nonsense, and the High Ranking Death Eaters still hadn't caught her. Draco couldn't understand why they required his presence if half the men would not listen to his advice. He knew how to track. This would have been done in half the time if they'd only listen to him.

He looked around and listened for the sound of his Lords other followers. They were barking at each other and firing off spells. Clumsy. Riotous. Draco scoffed. No sense of finesse whatsoever. Obviously, they won't find her if they keep notifying her of their location. Draco kept to the shadows, as best he could anyway, in the middle of the day. Sticking to the trees, he moved to a shaded area on one side of a house in the neighborhood and just listened. He closed his eyes and relaxed himself enough to detect any magic in the area. This was something he taught himself over the years, having the desire to be forewarned when people like Potter or his father were approaching. Now he used it to avoid his fellow Death Eaters if he could help it.

He sensed the familiar magic of his companions in the distance. They were powerful, and it was almost like the magical imprint followed around them when they moved. He turned his attention away from them, seeking out something unfamiliar to him. Eventually, he felt a brush of frenzied magic and he furrowed his brows. It was almost like this magic was crackling and sizzling.

He followed the feeling, taking slow steps forward, peering every which way incase someone spotted him. He let his magic brush against what he assumed to be that of the witch he was searching for, and felt the ripple of it leading him to what appeared to be an uninhabited home for sale. He quickly sidled up to the door and cast a quick detection charm over it. He learned a long time ago not to walk into any magical traps as they could prove incredibly dangerous and quite painful.

Finding nothing of concern, he moved into the house and silently shut the door behind him. He tried to hear anything, but with the exception of the other Death Eaters shouting down the road, there was nothing. He briefly looked around, but nothing seemed amis. He breathed out and cast a quiet _homenum revelio_, and was pointed in the direction of the stairs. With the quickness of a feline, he made his way up the stairs where he saw a couple closed doors. Another spell, and he was being pointed to the door down the hall to his right. Striding forward, he pushed the door open but stopped in his tracks, frozen.

"Granger?"

oOo

He didn't know why he brought her to his secret cottage in the Bulgarian mountains. He didn't know why he felt inclined to help her. His life was on the line now, if anyone found out. He was watching her as she stared into her tea cup and frowned as though it were insulting her in some way. He examined her face, dirty and speckled with dry blood in various spots. Her hair was a tangled mess, hastily pulled clear from her face and tied back. He clothes were grimey and torn.

"Would you like a shower?" He asked warily. He couldn't very well tolerate being in such close proximity to her while she looked like the bad end of a blast ended skrewt.

"Yes, I really would. I have been on the run for so long now without a proper shower. I feel like I am a completely different being at this point." She grumbled as she set her tea cup down and looked sadly up at him. He was momentarily surprised with the ease in which she spoke to him, but brushed the thought away to show her where the bathroom was and grabbed her a few of his toiletries and a fresh towel.

"Take as long as you like. I'm going to go back to the Manor and sort out some excuse for my absence.. There are two guest rooms here that you are welcome to use. I am sure you're probably exhausted." He replied and she only nodded before offering a small smile and padding away to the shower.

He watched her go and then shut the door behind her. He felt his brow furrow and his jaw clench. He resigned himself to the fact he'd gotten into a bit of a bind here, and now had to figure out a way to hide his guilt. With a heaving sigh, he stood straight and apparated away.

oOo

Draco was relieved no one suspected his involvement in aiding Granger's escape. Luckily for them, Goyle was the one that had entered the house she chose to hide in and assumed the sound of apparition was Hermione managing to get away. They also assumed she had to have splinched and was bleeding out somewhere, dying. They knew her magic was severely depleted and were umder the assumption that whatever little bit she was able to pull forward to apparate couldn't have been enough. He was fine with that, and didn't offer any opinion. He merely shrugged it off when asked, and acted as though he'd been on her trail but suddenly lost it as she must have known how to cover her tracks along the way.

He lingered in the manner for a few hours, before requesting he be allowed to skip dinner and visit a friend. His mother wasn't very pleased with this, but the Dark Lord was traveling again, so he would not be required to attend meals. As soon as she'd given into his request, he quickly made his way down to the kitchen and requested an elf there pack several travel containers full of the meal they'd fixed for the night.

Five minutes later he was back in the cottage. The fire was lit and Granger was curled up on the couch with a steaming teacup. She startled when he suddenly appeared, but relaxed marginally as he held up his hands to show he was unarmed and not going to hurt her.

"Malfoy, you came back." She breathed and placed a hand over her heart by way of calming herself.

"I have. Later than I would have liked, but I needed to show my face, you know. You were the topic of interest today, so I needed to seem interested and involved." He replied, annoyed, and made to set his satchel on the tabletop. "I brought food, if you're hungry?" He asked and watched her face light up. He was stunned for a moment that she could smile like that at him, but pushed the thought away as she rose to her feet and walked over.

"Yes, I am quite hungry actually. We didn't really have the easiest time finding food to eat while on the run..." Her voice trailed off and he observed how quickly the momentary joy fell from her face. It made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't know how to deal with sad girls, let alone someone like Granger, who was always so sure of herself. He cleared his throat and fumbled with the buckle on the satchel.

"I asked the elves at the manor to pack some options, but as expected, they went a bit overboard..." He laughed to himself as he pulled the bag open finally and began to pull out dish after dish and placing them on the table. He saw Granger's eyes widen and her mouth dropped open in a silent gasp. With a small wave of his hand, all the lids came off the containors and the room was suddenly filled with the delicious smells of a feast. "Help yourself to anything, Granger." He added, and handed her a clean plate with silverware.

"Aren't you joining me?" She asked suddenly, turning her alarmed gaze on him. His brows scrunched together and he was looking at her, bemused.

"Well, I thought you'd want to be alone... I don't make very good company." He answered slowly and he was confused with the expression on her face. She seemed to be furiously debating something to herself before she settled on a response.

"You've been good company since we have crossed paths again. I wouldn't mind if you stayed."

Draco tapped the table with his pointer finger and eventually shrugged.

"Alright. I haven't eaten yet, so I guess it wouldn't hurt." Ever the perplexing woman, she beamed at him and happily reached for the bowl of peas and mash and began spooning it onto her plate.

oOo

The third day of her time in the cottage was not starting off well. Usually, he would come by and check on her and than leave back to the manor. He wanted people to see that he wasn't constantly gone, and if he wasn't with everyone, he'd retired to his room. He could use that time to come to the cottage. Draco returned early to see if she needed anything, only to duck down immediately after apparating into the sitting area, lest he be the victim of a vase shattering against his skull.

"Granger! What the bloody-"

She cut him off with a frustrated shriek and then collapsed to the floor with her hair clenched in her hands and her face hidden.

"I can't do any magic! I keep trying and trying but nothing is happening! Is it possible to kill your own magic with poor health!? Am I a muggle now!?"

He stood staring at her as she melted down in front of him. He didn't know what he could say to her. He didn't want her to explode at him again and he certainly didn't want to play _dodge the dishes_ today. He sighed and walked over to stand next to her.

"Granger, stop being foolish! You need to give your body a chance to catch up. You've been through a lot. Your magic isn't dead." He was aware his tone was coming off a bit condescending, but he wasn't certain on how to prevent that. He'd never had to console anyone for anything before, and it was a consideration rarely afforded to him throughout his lifetime. This entire situation felt foreign and awkward. He heard her sniffle and his attention was suddenly snapped back to her. "Granger," he repeated more quietly, but she didn't acknowledge him.

He pulled his lips into a thin line, and clenched his fists. He needed to set aside his own discomfort and soothe her frantic mind. Kneeling in front of her, he tentatively placed his hands overtop her own which were still fisted tightly into her hair. "Granger, I'll help you. I'll help you get better and help you practice. You'll get your magic back in a couple days." He whispered and her hands relaxed enough so that he could pull them out of her hair. He wrapped his hands around hers and waited until she looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were glistening and he tried not to give any thought to why that made his chest ache. "I'll help you, Granger." He said again, and she smiled.

oOo

He stayed true to his word and by her fifth day at the cottage, he had her doing circles around him of exceptional wand work and spell casting. She wasn't quite at her peak, but most certainly the thrum of her magic filled the enclosed space and she was beaming again. He swallowed down every flutter he felt in his chest whenever she would smile like that at him, and now he fully understood what people meant when they claimed to have butterflies in their stomachs.

Granger was skipping around the sitting room sending tiny birds flying around their heads. Her smile was wide and reached her eyes. Her nose crinkled everytime she laughed - the sound of which made his heart hum with a happiness he didn't think he'd ever known before - and it was all being directed toward him.

"Thank you so much for helping me get better, Malfoy! Thank you so much for everything!" She exclaimed and rushed over to where he stood watching her from the window, and hugged him tightly. He didn't know what to do, or if he should speak. He felt himself growing warm in her embrace, but when she nuzzled her face into his chest, he couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around her small frame and holding her to him for a moment longer.

"You're welcome.." He whispered, and felt her squeeze him in acknowledgement.

After a little while more of practicing, he left for a bit. Things at the manor were as dismal as ever, and he twitched whenever someone would cry or scream or groan from the dungeons below. The sound would echo across the walls and he hated there was nothing he could do to end the horror of this new reality. He moved slowly between the halls, occasionally stopping to speak with different _associates_ visiting for the day. He couldn't wait to leave again and go see how Granger was doing. He assumed she was still casting spells and making a mess of the place in her excitement. He allowed a small smile as he pictured all the little birds she conjured up nestling happily into her hair.

"Draco?"

Draco was startled out of his daydream by the voice of his mother. He turned to face her and inclined his head politely.

"Mother. I'm sorry, did you say something? I'm afraid I was lost in some thoughts." He said cooly and she tilted her head to the side slightly as though she were inspecting him.

"Pleasant ones, from the look of it?"

"Yes, quite amusing. Just idle imaginings of carefree moments that will never come to pass..." He said and she winced as if he'd shouted the statement instead of spoken it softly.

"Ah, I see." Narcissa paused and studied his face a moment more before turning to leave. Before she'd turned into the door of her personal tea room, she looked back at him. "You must join us for dinner tonight, Draco. Our_ guest_ will not approve of your absence."

His jaw tightened and his back went rigid. "Yes, mother. I understand." He replied curtly, and she was gone. He felt the dread rising in his body and after taking a few deep breaths, he was turning on the spot and apparating back to his secret cottage.

oOo

Draco spent an hour venting to Granger without really realizing he was doing it. He appeared in the sitting room as she seemed to have just made herself a cup of tea and was about to walk to the couch. Instead, there was a moment when they stood staring at one another and when she opened her mouth to speak, he erupted. He paced about the room, tugged at his hair, threw his cloak off and onto the couch and constantly rubbed in frustration at his face. He ranted about the tortures happening within the manor, he screamed about the Dark Lord and how psychotic he was, he fumed over feeling suffocated and having to force himself into being cordial with his parents associates. He hollered in rage and despair over the punishments he'd been dealt but also the ones he had to administer. He begged to no one in particular for forgiveness and pleaded for understanding. He tried to reduce the suffering he inflicted as much as he could. He talked and yelled and stomped about until his throat was raw and his body ached with exhaustion. Abruptly, he stopped and turned to look at her, utterly defeated and broken.

At some point during his verbal tirade, she had settled herself down at the table with her tea and waited for him to finish. Realizing he had nothing left to say, she got up and walked to stand in front of him. He stared into her big brown eyes, and flinched slightly when she brought her hand to his face. He was fully prepared for a good and hard slap right across his cheek, but instead he felt her gentle caress and he exhaled slowly.

"There is absolutely nothing I can say that will take your pain away, Malfoy. I cannot give you words of comfort or fight these demons for you. All I can say is that I forgive you, and all I can ask in return is that you survive. Don't give up. Survive."

Her words were gentle, and her tone was calming. He lifted his hand to cup hers and trembled with the weight of it all.

_Survive. She says just survive._

"I'll work on it, Granger." He replied, his voice scratchy and strained. She smiled.

"Good."

oOo

"Malfoy," she traced circles onto the back of his hand absentmindedly as she spoke, "I have to go."

He swallowed and locked his eyes on hers. "I know that. I knew, deep down, I would never be able to keep you here." He mumbled and placed his other hand on hers. His heart was shuddering wildly in his chest and he felt like he coukd burn to ash where he sat. When he came back on her sixth day in the cottage, it was to find she'd showered and changed and was loading up the rucksack he gave her before stuffing it into her suspiciously spacious beaded bag.

"Have you," she bit her lip nervously and asked quietly, "picked a side? What will you do when you leave here?"

He sighed, still looing down at her as she knelt before him. "I have - and I will play my part appropriately."

He offered nothing more, and knew by the look on her face that she was trying to puzzle out exactly where he stood in this war. He wanted to tell her he would follow her to the ends of the earth, that he wasn't a Death Eater and that he would fight at her side instead of opposite, but knew it would all be a lie. He didn't have it in him to defect, and he couldn't abandon his mother. Somehow, he reasoned that a solution to their problems would come, and he would be able to save his mother and himself.

He watched as she stood and pulled her wand from her back pocket. He felt more of his heart fall away from him and hated the thought of not being able to convince her to stay here, where it was safe. "Thank you for everything, Draco. Honestly. And... And I hope we meet again."

He nodded, getting to his feet as well. He looked at her and for a moment, his emotions bled through his carefully crafted stoic mask. He wanted to fall to his knees and beg her not to go. He didn't want her to be captured, tortured or killed. The moment passed, however, and he knew any further pleading on his end would amount to nothing more than placating words from her. So he did the only thing he could and schooled his features back into his usual blank mask.

"Until next time, Granger." He murmured, and with a twist of her wand, she was gone.

oOo

**A/N Woo!! How did everyone feel about Draco's POV? I felt so bad for not making this a multichapter fic and all of the reviews have been so lovely. I wanted to repay you all with a longer part, so this is what I came up with! I really hope it didn't disappoint and you enjoyed seeing how Draco was feeling throughout his time with Hermione. Please review, they are the maxima to my lumos and I love you all so much!! **


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